Accelerate Me!
by SilentJo
Summary: Accelerator had been living a quiet life with his ward Last Order. His dark and violent past kept him from letting anyone get too close. But when his old friend Kana arrives at his door and confesses to him, he gives in to his desires and the two begin a journey of new experiences. But Kana isn't the only person from his past that has come back to Academy City to confront him...
1. Chapter 1: Kana

It had been years since I'd seen Accelerator in person. For most of his teenage years, he'd been known for his sadistic side and had built a wall up around himself in his attempt to become the most powerful Esper in Academy City. But I knew he wasn't always like that. I'd been one of the few to get close enough to peer over that wall and see who he really was. And I knew deep in my heart that he was still that same person I met at the playground all those years ago. I could only hope so, at least. After coming back to Academy City, there aren't many people I feel I can trust as well as I trust him.

"Things have calmed down for him, Kana, don't chicken out now! If he's on your mind this much, confronting him is the only thing left for you to do! Good answer or bad, you can't move forward until you tell him how you feel!" I told myself in an effort to gather courage. Maybe hearing the words out loud made it easier to keep walking toward his place. As I stood at his doorstep, I had to force myself to ring the bell. I looked to each side of his porch, not many people around which I suppose is normal for this time of day. Most normal people would be at work or school at noon.

 _Oh no, what if he wasn't even here?!_ All that time psyching myself up to face him and him not being home really would be just my luck. Just as I was about to think this was true, I heard the deadbolt lock turn from the inside. The door opened to reveal Accelerator, one hand steadying himself on his crutch and the other shielding his eyes from the sunlight. He stared at me intently for several moments as his eyes adjusted to the outdoor light. His red eyes scoured over me as he tried to figure out who I was. Perhaps my bright blue hair was what made him recognize me.

"You're... the girl from the playground. Right?"

"Yeah, I am. Kana Hanje, I'm glad that you remember me." I answered him with a smile, trying not to show how relieved I was.

"Sure. What are you doing here, Kana?" Accelerator asked. I was probably the last person he'd expect to show up at his door.

"I... I wanted to see you, Accelerator. I just came back to Academy City and I thought it'd be nice to see a familiar face." He raised his free hand and gestured for me to walk in, his other arm braced within the crutch he used to help himself get around. He closed the door behind me and continued the conversation.

"There's been a lot that's happened since you last saw me. You have no idea of the things I've done, obviously. If you did you'd be smart enough to stay away from me like everybody else."

"Is that what you want, to keep everyone at a distance? That may be what your Esper ability accomplishes, but it doesn't have to mean that you have to stay alone all the time! I've heard of the things you've been involved in. The Sisters project for one." He looked away when I mentioned the name of the project that had ended with over ten thousand Misaka clones dead by his hand. After all these years, I could see bringing that up hurt his heart. I immediately regretted mentioning it, but he continued his argument with a flash of anger in his eyes.

"You know the death and destruction I've caused and still you stand before me... What do you want from me? I've learned my lesson and know that I'll never be deserving of anything more than the life of a loner scumbag who..."

"THAT'S NOT TRUE! Yes, there are things in your past that are ugly and reprehensible. But I also know that you've done what you can to atone for them here in the present. I heard about what happened with you and Last Order. I know the reason you have to use that cane and wear that choker device. You've grown up since then, into a man that your younger self could be proud of! You may think you don't deserve forgiveness, Accelerator, but that's not true. I knew you were a good person back then. Back before the incident at the playground and before that horrible Institute took you in. I know you're the same person I knew then. The same guy I..."

"Don't say it! What, you care about me? Have feelings for me? No, that kinda stuff isn't for me."

"And what if I do? Yes, I do care about you! Ever since that day on the playground you have been the only person I felt close to. Even after my parents moved me out of Academy City I felt like our friendship was still there. What kept me going was the thought of coming back here when I was old enough and finding you. And it's taking all the courage I have to stand here in front of you and admit that! What's so bad about caring for someone else?" I could tell that his hardened facade was starting to chip away, his facial expression had changed from stoic and confrontational to something a little softer.

"Because it just shows weakness, okay! All those years I kept to myself while I built upon my power and strength. Love is a weakness I couldn't afford to include in that. I chose power over everything else so I could get to the top as Academy City's strongest Esper. There wasn't room for anything else in my life then. Showing someone else that I cared for them would have only been seen as a weakness."

"I don't believe that's true, Accelerator. Sure, being strong just for the sake of power is good if all you want is power. But strength in the name of love... people have overcome insurmountable obstacles for the people they love and cherish. Love isn't a weakness, it's one of the purest sources of strength!"

"And what do you suppose happens when the people you love are taken away? I've made a lot of enemies, Kana. The kind that won't hesitate to go after the people I care about to get to me. I'm alone because I refuse to let anyone else get hurt because of who I am!"

"Who you are is the entire reason I'm here in front of you right now!" I said as tears started to pool in my eyes. "You've kept yourself hidden away just so you don't have to feel the pain of losing someone. You talk about weakness, but isn't that another form of it?" I stepped closer to him, slowly.

"There's... it's better to avoid that pain..." He grew nervous the closer I got to him, retreating until his back was against the wall.

"Is it really? Tell me, when was the last time you actually let down your guard so someone could touch you? A handshake or a hug, a simple pat on the back even? Don't tell me you don't long for some kind of contact." I was an arm's length away from him now. He stood still as I stepped closer to fill the remaining gap between us. I brought my hand up to his face and slowly brushed my fingers across his cheek. I raised my other arm and cupped his face between my hands and slowly ran them back through his messy white hair. It felt so soft and fine against my fingers. He wrapped his hands around my wrists but didn't pull them away.

"Kana, I don't have many friends, none that I've known as long as I've known you. People that get involved with me don't usually get a happy ending if you know what I mean. I just... I don't want to hurt you."

"Shh... If you really believed that, you wouldn't have let me get this close." I put my hands back on his cheeks, and as I looked into his crimson eyes, I lightly pressed my lips against his. I saw his eyes light up as he pulled away. I'm sure that had been his first kiss, and it looked like he enjoyed it. His hands impulsively moved from my wrists to the sides of my face. He brought his lips back to mine and kissed me again, more forceful this time. He moved his hand to the back of my neck, entangling his fingers in my long azure hair. As the kiss ended, I let out a sigh as he nuzzled his face into the side of my neck, kissing the tender skin against it. He kissed me gently several times, then brought his mouth up to my ear and whispered, "I want to be closer."

He took me by the hand and led me towards his bedroom at the end of the hall. He left the light off as we walked in, leaving the door open to allow some light into the room. He let his crutch fall to the floor as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close for another kiss. I grabbed the bottom of his gray and white shirt and slowly pulled it up, breaking our contact for a moment to pass it over his head. My fingers danced lightly over his toned arms and chest before I wrapped my arms around him and ran my hands across his back. He reached the end of my lilac colored shirt but hesitated in lifting it.

"It's okay, take it off," I said encouragingly, putting my hands over his and guiding my shirt up and over my head. He stared for a few moments at my breasts, then cupped them in his hands and kissed the skin my bra didn't cover. He reached around and undid the clasps, and I let the bra drop to the floor. He lightly kneaded them with his hands before gently flicking my nipples. As they hardened from the attention, he leaned over and licked one, then the other, before taking one into his mouth. He flicked his tongue against it as my breath grew heavy. He switched to my other breast and licked and sucked the nipple while his arms pulled me closer to him.

As he was doing that, I moved my hands towards the belt of his pants, loosening it so I could take off his pants. I could feel the bulge pressing against his pants as I unbuttoned and pulled the zipper down. He stopped for a moment and let out a soft moan as I let his pants fall and rubbed my hand against the front of his briefs.

"Do you like that?" I asked as he stepped out of his pants and flung them to the side, along with his shoes. The heavy breathing and moans escaping his lips answered my question. I continued rubbing against his cock, still covered by the fabric of his underwear. He took the opportunity to take off the shorts I was wearing, dropping them to the floor, where I kicked out of them and my shoes as well. He left my purple striped panties on and ran his hands across my back as I kept caressing his manhood.

We walked together to the side of the bed, where I sat down in front of him. I grabbed the waistband of his underwear and pulled them down, revealing the hard cock that I'd been enticing moments before. It was at least eight inches long with a smooth slightly pink tip. I took it into my hand and began stroking it while looking up at Accelerator. His eyes looked like they were going to roll back in his head.

"I... unhhh... I've never had someone else doing that before. This feels so good, Kana." I gripped the shaft and leaned over until the tip of his dick was in front of my mouth. I licked the tip of his cock lightly, swirling my tongue around the head before pulling it completely into my mouth. The moan he let out only turned me on more. I started to move my lips up and down his shaft. I looked up to see him smiling with his eyes closed, focusing on nothing but the pleasure I was giving him. This encouraged me to suck with more energy, swirling my tongue around his tip while he was in my mouth. Feeling him quiver as he pushed himself against me made me want him even more. A slightly salty taste brushed against my tongue as his pre-cum seeped out. He leaned back and pulled his wet, throbbing cock out of my mouth.

He gestured for me to lay down on the bed. He rubbed the front of my panties until they turned damp. He pulled my underwear down slowly, enjoying the view of my body as he did so. He lay down next to me, running his hands down my arms and torso.

"I want you, Kana. I just... I've never done this before." He looked at me with longing in his eyes.

"Don't be nervous. I want you too, Accelerator. I need you." I replied as he got on top of me. I spread my legs so he could get between them, his cock still glistened with my saliva as he took it in his hand and guided it to my pussy. I could feel him rubbing the head against my opening, and it drove me crazy. He looked me in the eyes as he thrust himself into me. Feeling his heat within me was amazing. I wrapped my legs against his back, pulling him in further.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he started to pump his cock in and out of me, slow and unsteady at first. I could tell he was nervous, and I wanted to encourage him to enjoy himself.

"Oh, yeah, don't stop, I want to feel you moving inside me," I replied with a raspy tone to my voice, my breath short as I moaned softly.

He thrust into me harder. I could feel him rubbing against my most sensitive spots. I couldn't contain my moans or screams. He leaned forward and started licking and sucking on my breasts. My senses were going insane with pleasure. I could feel myself getting ready to cum as he forced himself into me faster, more boldly now that he had grown more confident in the moment. His moans grew louder as we both approached our moment of climax.

"Oh, Kana... I'm... I'm gonna cum!" He said breathlessly.

"Me too! Don't stop, I'm almost there!" He pumped against me so hard I couldn't hold myself back any longer. My body began to quiver against him as I came hard.

"Oh shit, I can feel your pussy tightening up around me! Ohh, ohh, I'm cumming!" he moaned as he fell against me, his cock throbbing inside of me. I could feel the warmth and wetness of his load deep within me. I pulled him closer with my legs as he finished inside me. We both lay still, catching our breath as we lingered on the pleasure that we had just shared.

Accelerator eventually pulled out and rolled over onto his back. With my legs trembling, I curled up next to him and rested my head against his chest as he draped his arm across my shoulder.

"That... That was amazing, Kana." He said softly. I sat up and pulled the blanket we had pushed towards the edge of the bed over us, then went back to laying against him.

"You were amazing too, I don't think I've ever felt so happy."

"If I make you happy, then I'll be with you for as long as you'll allow me. I'm not gonna lie to you though, Kana. I don't know the first thing about love or relationships, so don't go thinking I'll get shit right from the start."

"And I'm not expecting you to, so don't worry about that. Relationships don't always have two strong people at the same time anyway. Sometimes you take turns being strong for each other during the times when the other feels weak. If you ever feel lost or confused about how your feeling, don't be afraid to tell me. I know you're a strong person, but I promise you I can be strong for both of us as well."

I felt his breath catch in his chest after I had finished speaking. Worried I had said something wrong I glanced up at him and saw a look of surprise awaiting my gaze. It didn't linger long as his expression returned to normal. The arm he had around me pulled me closer to him, gently running his fingers back and forth across my arm as he replied, "What you said earlier, about love being a source of strength, I'm starting to understand what you meant by that now. With your love, I'll summon all the strength this world has to offer and more to protect you. Just like I did the last time I saw you."

The last time he saw me. It seemed to be another lifetime ago now. The fact that he remembers it is rather bittersweet, considering that was the event that sent both of our lives in different directions. I couldn't help feeling emotional about his sudden pledge of protection.

"Since the last time I saw you, I just felt like something was missing. Leaving the city hurt me terribly, I didn't want to be so far away from you, but I wasn't given any choice. I tried to carry on, but it seemed no matter what I did, something would always remind me of you. I made a promise to myself back then, that I would come back to Academy City and see you again. Thank you for helping me fulfill that promise to myself."

"Sure, anytime." He continued to rub his hand up and down my arm, gradually slowing down until I could tell he had fallen asleep. Listening to his breathing slow into a calming rhythm made me smile. Surprisingly, before I knew it, I was dozing off as well.

Perhaps now I can put to rest the fear of our past coming back to life before us again. Then I could be completely honest saying that seeing him again was the only reason I had for showing up at his door. But my luck just doesn't work that way it seems. But I won't lose him again— I swear on my life to make that a fact.


	2. Chapter 2: Accelerator

Sex. I'd never given it a lot of thought really. With all that's gone on in my life, it was one thing that just never came up. Sure I'd yank one out every so often, to relieve the 'pressure' or whatever you call it. But it's never been part of any goal I had for myself. And it certainly wasn't what I expected to be doing today.

My mind is still racing over it. I can't remember the last time I'd felt so good. As soon as she touched me... I just couldn't help myself, even if I was nervous. Consciously blocking my ability to be able to hold her and fuck her was more exhausting than I thought it would be. As much as I enjoyed having sex with Kana, I felt like my ability was making it difficult for me to give her all I had. I didn't know what to expect since it was my first time. The last thing I wanted to do was accidentally hurt her by letting my ability go unchecked.

She lay there, asleep on my arm, curled up next to me naked with her long blue hair sweeping down over her. I watched her breasts rise and fall as she took each breath. Knowing what she does about me yet still trusting in me enough to sleep comfortably against me... She hasn't changed much from when we first met at the playground.

Shit! Playground. School. Last Order will be home from school soon. "Hey, Kana... Kana." I said as I gently shook the arm that she had wrapped around me. It's not that I wanted to let go of her, far from it actually. But I knew the brat would be home from school soon and having to explain the current situation would be a real pain.

"Hmmm? Oh, did I fall asleep on you? I'm sorry." Kana said as she woke from her nap. She looked at me and smiled as she stretched out her arms and yawned. I had missed that smile over the years. Never thought I'd see something that bright again in my life.

"Yeah, it's not a big deal though. However, Last Order will be here shortly, so..." I said as I got out of the bed and started to gather the clothes I'd left on the floor.

"Oh, yeah. I imagine this would cause a lot of questions for her." Kana swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. I watched as she bent over to grab her underwear. Her ass looked so beautiful and inviting, I could feel myself start to get hard again. I wanted to be inside her one more time, but it'll have to wait.

We finished dressing without saying anything else. She picked up my crutch and gave it to me, even though I could have just redirected it back to myself. As kind and helpful as always, this girl. The front door started to open just as Kana and I made it into the living room. Last Order blew through the door like her usual hyperactive self. Her mouth moving just as fast as her stubby little legs.

"Good afternoon Accelerator says MISAKA MISAKA as she returns home from an exhaustive but fulfilling day of school!" She threw her school bag on the dining table as she turned the corner to see Kana and I standing in the living room. "Oh, I wasn't aware we were having company today, says MISAKA MISAKA as she wonders why she wasn't informed of this visit ahead of time."

"I didn't tell you because I didn't even know she was visiting, ya brat! Anyway... Last Order, this is Kana Hanje. She's... an old friend of mine who just moved back to Academy City." I gestured over to Kana as I introduced her, but there was something odd in the way she reacted to how I introduced her. Maybe shock is too extreme a description, but close enough, I suppose.

"Nice to meet you, Last Order, I hope you're doing well today. How was school?" asked Kana casually to Last Order, whose facial expression was making it obvious she was trying to figure out if there was more to our story than what we've told.

"It was an interesting day, we were being shown how AIM fields react to different Esper abilities, which made me equally intrigued and bored, says MISAKA MISAKA as she continues eyeing the two of you with subtle suspicion."

"Ahh, get over it, ya dingbat, she just wanted to stop in and say hello."

Kana started to head for the door at that. "Well, it was really great seeing you again, Accelerator. I should probably get going, I wouldn't want to interrupt your normal routine. I'll see you around, and it was nice meeting you too, young lady!" I couldn't help but feel there was a sense of hostility in her voice.

"Here, I'll walk you out." I looked back at the kid and made sure she understood to stay put, then I followed Kana to the door.

"Hey, you know you don't have to take off. Is there a problem? I can't help but feel like you're pissed about something." Kana paused at the door, her hand on the knob.

"I'm sorry, it's just something so silly, I'm mad at myself for acting out over it. Don't worry about it," she replied as she opened the door.

"What is it, was it something I did or said? I told you, I'm no good at this kinda shit, so you're going to have to tell me when there's a problem. You told me yourself all that stuff about taking turns being strong... so what is it?"

She turned around as she reached the steps and gave me that smile again. "I know, it's just such a stupid thing to get upset about. When you introduced me to Last Order, you just called me an old friend."

"Ahh, you were expecting a more updated status, like a girlfriend or something. _Fuck, I'm screwing this stuff up already..._ Look... I'm sorry, I just figured that keeping things as simple as possible for Last Order would be better for now. I mean, she's fine and all, it just takes some time for her to adjust when things are... different."

"I realize that, like I said, it was stupid to get worked up about it. I guess things are kind of different now, aren't they?" She touched my arm that I had rested on the porch railing and rubbed my forearm, then squeezed my wrist softly. Damnit, why does her touch give me chills like this? I felt myself wanting to grab her and pull her against me so close.

"Ahem, ah yeah I suppose things are different now," I said as I quickly cleared my throat. "I still don't understand why you came back to see me now, though I'm not regretting that you did, obviously."

"It... just felt like the right time. The past few years have been pretty crazy for you, I didn't want to add more stress by showing up at a bad time. I do need to get going though, but I'll see you soon Accelerator, I promise."

She leaned in to give me a light kiss on my cheek. I barely had time to stop my Redirection from sending her down the steps and onto the sidewalk. I felt my skin turn hot as her lips touched my face. She had turned and walked down the steps before I could answer her kiss with one of my own. I stayed outside, watching her walk away as my mind once again started thinking of the things I wanted to do to her right there. Once she was out of sight, I went back inside and closed the door.

"MISAKA thinks that your old friend seems nice, but has ulterior motives for coming here, says MISAKA MISAKA as she matter-of-factually states her opinion."

"Ulterior motive? C'mon kid, what are you jealous now? Tch... There's nothing for you to be worried about, got it?" I walked back towards the living room and sat down on the couch.

"If you say so, says MISAKA MISAKA as she sits with her loyal guardian and asks politely how you met Kana Hanje." Sure enough, the little brat hopped up onto the couch and got herself comfortable before staring at me like it was damn story time or something.

"Gah... You just aren't going to let this go are ya?! Fine, but it isn't all that exciting a story."


	3. Chapter 3: Accelerator

It was a small playground in a park in one of the areas of Academy City that had several elementary schools. Students would walk there to eat lunch or for recess. Considering I wasn't a student at any of those schools, my appearance on the playground was suspicious to the other kids. Honestly, I'm not sure why I kept going there. I could tell when they were talking about me, they'd gather around and take turns glancing in my direction, laughing and giggling. None of them ever approached me though, so I never bothered to do anything about it.

That is until the girl with the brilliant blue hair appeared.

I was in my usual spot on the playground near the animal ride-on toys that none of the kids cared to play on anymore, looking down at the ground and drawing random things in the soft dirt. A pair of small black shoes appeared before me. I looked up to see a girl holding a bento box tied up in a towel. She was smiling at me, but not the way those little bastards that make fun of me would smile as they ridiculed me. No, this was a genuine smile. I had no idea how to react, so I just stared back at her.

"Hi, I'm Kana Hanje. I noticed you stay over here by yourself a lot, so I thought I'd come over and say hello. Did you bring your lunch today, or did you eat at school?" she asked me, apparently unaware of the fact that my 'school' wasn't nearby, nor did they bother to provide me with decent meals.

"N-no, I don't have anything. I'll just eat later," I told her quietly as I brought my focus back to the ground.

"If you're hungry now, you should eat now. Here, we can share mine if you want, I packed enough to do so. Do you mind if I sit with you?" she asked as she started to undo the knot in the towel holding her bento together.

"Uh, sure. But you don't have to do that." I told her as she sat next to me and started unpacking the bento in front of us. I took the chopsticks she offered me and grabbed some fried chicken and noodles that occupied one of the bento pockets. It tasted amazing, none of the shit they called food at the Institute could even compare. I bet it was even homemade, too. I took more food, savoring each new item as I went. I glanced at her with a mouthful of food, and she gave me this smile like she was really happy about something. I realized that she hadn't eaten any of her lunch yet, so I finished what I had already taken, and left the rest to her. As I looked away, I noticed some of the other kids pointing at the two of us, likely making fun of her now that she decided to associate herself with me.

"Thank you for the food. I apologize for taking so much of it," I said humbly as she finished what little food I had left her.

"You're welcome, I'm just glad to share it with you. It looked like you enjoyed it, so it was worth it," she replied with a short laugh, as she reassembled her bento and tied it up again. "I started school here a few weeks ago and noticed you the last few times our class has come here. I don't know many of the kids at my school yet, and it didn't look like you knew anyone either, so I figured I'd come over and meet you."

"No one knows me here. It's probably better that way. And although I appreciate what you did today, it may be wise to avoid me from now on. Your classmates spend most of their free time here making fun of me. You wouldn't want to give them a reason to do the same to you, especially if you're the new kid." I said as she stood up and brushed the dirt of the back of her uniform.

"Who cares what they say, they don't decide who I can be friends with."

I was surprised at this, no one had ever referred to me as their friend before. "Friend?" I managed to say, with surprise in my voice.

"Well, yeah. You were nice enough to let me sit with you for lunch, and even though I did most of the talking you didn't act bored or annoyed with me. I think that's what friends do. To be honest, I haven't had many friends either. My classmates have already started developing their Esper abilities, but so far I haven't been able to do that. All of them talk about what they've been able to accomplish with their powers, but since I don't have one yet they have no reason to include me in their groups."

I could tell that this bothered Kana more than she was letting on. It was a shame that she was being excluded for not having an ability, as kind and friendly as she was. Those rotten bastards, they really started to irritate me now.

"It looks like my class is assembling to leave now. Will I see you here again, err... I forgot to ask you what your name is." she said, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Accel..." Her teacher interrupted and yelled for her to rejoin their group. "Accelerator."

"What an interesting name! Okay, I'll see you here again soon, Accelerator," she said with a smile as she waved goodbye and ran over to her class.

In the ten years I'd been in Academy City, no one had ever done anything remotely so nice for me without expecting something in return. I despised most of the people around me because they never bothered to ask if I was okay or what I wanted. All they wanted was to use me for their experiments. In a way, I almost envied Kana for not having an ability that people could exploit. Maybe if she knew more about what I went through on a daily basis she wouldn't feel so bad about her lack of ability.

And so, I made it a point to be at the playground every day. Every time she spotted me, her eyes lit up and she'd break away from the other students and join me. Some days she would bring two bento boxes and give me one, something I greatly appreciated considering most of my meals came from convenience stores, if I ate at all. She did a lot of the talking, as I figured her listening to stories of my life would just leave her depressed. It was only a short time that I'd see her each day, but it made it easier to deal with the frustration I had built up from the experiments at the Institute.

Unfortunately, Kana's classmates grew bolder in their bullying and teasing. They used to stand far enough to speak freely about me. Now they stood close enough for the two of us to hear the cruel things they would say about me or her. The girls seemed to be the most vicious with their words, but the boys weren't much better. One boy seemed to be the alpha of his group and had a really arrogant attitude like he expected people to admire him or something. He's the one that ruined everything.

One day as Kana's class arrived, I watched the kids enter, but didn't see her with them. I stood up, thinking I had just missed her. I saw some of the girls giggling and pointing in my direction, but I ignored them. The Alpha nudged his buddies and started walking in my direction. He came to a stop in front of me as his friends spread out on either side of him.

"You're that weirdo that's always hanging out here, aren't you? Hate to tell you but your little girlfriend ain't coming today. That loser went back to her remedial class since Level Zeros can't keep up with us _real_ Espers. So if you're gonna creep around, do it somewhere else." The kid and his friends shot me their best tough guy looks and sauntered away to where their classmates were sitting.

She's _not coming? Were you really expecting a happy ending? She's probably better off not associating with you anyway._ I looked at her class one more time in disgust. What vile creatures passing for children these days, and turned my back while making my way to the other side of the park. I sat down with my back towards the entrance and thought about her and how dumb I was for not asking for a way to call or message her. I fell into a daydream, playing out the last day I had spent with her again. I imagined the sound of her voice, calling out to me.

"Accelerator! I'm here! Damnit, let me through!"

 _Wait, that's not my imagination..._ I turned around and saw Kana standing in front of that same group of boys that had hassled me earlier. They were keeping her from coming inside the playground. I got up and started making my way over to her.

"I told you to go back to your stupid remedial class, Hanje. A Zero has no right to learn with us! You don't even know how strong I am, do you? All the teachers and scientists think I'm one of the fastest rising Espers in our school even. Not only that, but I'm one of the star players for our sports teams! What makes you think you're on the same level as me, Zero? Huh?" He said as he pushed Kana, his friends all laughing and taunting her.

"I never did anything to bother you jerks, all I wanted was to go to school and have a normal life. My status as a Level Zero doesn't officially exclude me from this class and you know it. As much as your sorry narcissistic ass despises me, Luka, I'm not going anywhere! Now let me through, my friend has been waiting on me long enough." Kana's voice was full of anger, the first time I'd ever heard that side of her, as she once again tried to get past Luka.

"Narcissistic? Hah! Sounds like someone needs to learn their place, and I'll be happy to be your teacher!" Luka said as he pushed Kana once again, then swung his right fist and caught her just under her left eye. She hit the ground hard, the bento boxes she had been carrying scattered everywhere.

"HEY! What kind of coward are you? Haven't you heard that you're not supposed to hit girls?" I said as I ran over to where Kana was laying. As she opened her eyes and saw me, her face changed from sadness to joy, her smile was such a relief. It cooled the anger I had nearly let overflow when she was attacked.

"Accelerator! Don't worry, I'm okay... Let's just leave, please. Oh no, our lunches are ruined..." Kana said as she stood up and looked at the mess of food around her. Blood started to trickle down from her nose as the bruising around her eye grew dark and swollen. Up until this point in my life, I'd never given into my rage. I just took whatever shitty circumstances life had for me with little emotion or complaint. Seeing Kana hurt and bleeding filled me with an anger so hot that all that I felt right to do was laugh. I'd never revealed to anyone outside of the Institute just what my ability was and always made sure to avoid having it discovered while I was out in public.

But now? Now I didn't give a shit.

"What's so funny, you albino freak? Seeing your girlfriend get beat up that amusing?" Luka said as he and his buddies started to surround us again.

"Kana, get behind me!" I yelled to her as I spread out my arms in a defensive pose.

"Aww, how cute, he thinks he can protect the two of them. Get him!" Luka ordered as his friends closed in around me, throwing their fists towards my face as hard as they could.

The sound of shattered bones followed by the screams of the three boys was oddly satisfying. Seeing them fall to the ground, cradling their broken arms and wrists in pain made me laugh once again. The look on Luka's face as he watched the whole scene take place was priceless!

"WHAT THE HELL?! How did you do that? Some barrier ability or something?" He looked around and found a large rock, roughly the size of a baseball. "Let's see how well that barrier holds up after I'm done!" He held the rock like a baseball and lobbed it as fast as he could at me. Of course with my Reflection ability, it didn't matter how fast he threw it. Once it touched my skin it would bounce right back in the direction it came from, and just as fast. The rock hit him directly in the face, blood splattering in several directions as the momentum of the rock flung him to the ground.

"YOU BASTARD! AHH!" Luka screamed as he staggered to his feet, blood dripping from the gash that the rock had opened across his face. He charged towards me, raising his right fist as he prepared to slug me. All I did was smile at him as his arm broke in the same manner as his buddies.

"All this pain just for trying to teach us a lesson about how superior you are? Ha ha! You're the one who just got schooled, Luka. You and those vermin you call classmates ever so much as sneer at Kana again and I'll make this little event look like a day at the amusement park in comparison." I said as I backed away from the group of crying children. Kana took my hand as she walked with me, her left eye had completely swollen shut now, but her nose had stopped bleeding. In spite of this, she smiled at me once again with tears threatening to fall down her face.

"No one has ever stood up for me the way you just did, Accelerator. Thank you!" She said as she put her arms out and hugged me. "I'll never forget this. I don't care if I don't have friends at that stupid school. All I need is you!" She let me go and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"HEY WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE!" yelled one of the teachers that had brought Kana's class out to the playground. Suddenly, several teachers, as well as some uniformed guards representing Anti-Skill, appeared at the entrance of the park.

"Kana, I think you should go now. I really should have been more careful than this..."

"NO! I don't want to leave you! I'm sure once we tell them what happened, they'll understand and it'll be okay. We didn't do anything wrong!" Kana said as she grabbed my hand once more.

The teachers were talking to Luka, who kept pointing in our direction with his good arm. The teacher then rushed over to the other group of adults to fill them in on what that little bastard said. They started coming our way, spreading out to surround us.

"He's holding her hostage!" yelled one adult as they moved closer.

"YOU'RE WRONG! HE'S NOT THE BAD GUY HERE! HE DEFENDED ME FROM THEM!" Kana yelled at the grown-ups, pleading with them to listen to her. None of them even acknowledged her as they focused on me, their biggest threat.

"His power is out of control, he must be stopped before he begins another rampage!" another teacher said as they continued to approach. They completely surrounded us now. I tried to keep an eye on them all, but as they got closer one of the Anti-Skill officers grabbed Kana and ripped her away from me. She screamed out as the remaining teachers closed in to subdue me. My ability kept them from touching me, but all I could do was watch as Kana was carried away, kicking and screaming. All I heard until she was gone were her desperate pleas defending me. She swore to them that I was a good person, that I only did it to save her. I tried to follow where they had taken her, but by that point, the military had been alerted to the situation and had dispatched several tactical teams to deal with me.

Once she was gone, nothing mattered to me once again. I had a feeling that after my very public display of power, my chances of being allowed outside on my own again had just been brought to zero. My chances of seeing Kana again were even less than that. That bastard Luka told them that I had attacked them unprovoked and that I had also injured Kana. His lackeys all backed up his story as well. Once they realized where I was from and who I was, tanks and other large scale weaponry were brought in to take me out.

At that point, I didn't bother fighting back anymore. I faced down the most powerful forces Academy City could assemble against me. It would have been nothing for me to destroy them all, but what would have been the point? It would have only led to a larger assault, and another after that, until the whole world was against me and wishing for my demise. No point in any of that, so I gave up and allowed them to take me back to the Institute. Just as expected, I was prohibited from leaving the Institute.

And just as expected, I never heard from Kana again. Until now.


	4. Chapter 4: Accelerator

Wouldn't you know it, the brat fell asleep on me just as I had finished telling the story. I used my Redirection to slide her off of me and further down the couch before standing up. I stretched out my arms and legs and yawned. I guess I didn't realize how long it had taken to tell the story of how Kana and I met. It was late now, past her bedtime at least, so I grabbed one of the blankets on the arm of the couch and draped it over her. "Silly brat, you shouldn't make a habit of falling asleep in the living room." I switched off the lights and went into my room.

It still smelled like Kana in there. I undressed and got into bed, wrapping myself in the sheets that had been recklessly pushed aside by us hours before. Her scent lingered on them and made me start thinking about what we had done earlier in the day. Picturing her body against mine again drew my hand towards my cock, which had been provoked into action at the thoughts I was entertaining. It didn't take long for sleep to find me once I relieved the pressure she created in my mind and body.

The next morning started out like any normal Saturday. No sooner had I made the walk from my room to the kitchen, the barrage of non-stop talking began.

"MISAKA was wondering when you were going to wake up, says MISAKA MISAKA while noting the late hour and waiting patiently for her breakfast."

"It's Saturday, it's not out of the ordinary for people to sleep in on weekends, you know," I replied to her as I took down a box of cereal and poured her a bowl.

"I suppose that's true, several classmates were commenting on taking a trip to the science museum this weekend. Apparently, a new attraction is opening, remarks MISAKA MISAKA as she starts to consume her sugary low-effort attempt at a wholesome breakfast."

The brat really knows which buttons to push sometimes... Just as I was going to respond to her snarky remark, she quickly spoke again.

"So yesterday was the first time you two have seen each other since that day, asks MISAKA MISAKA as she begins to realize the situation as it were?"

"Well, that was a sudden change of subject. And there's no situation, Last Order. Stop trying to make more out of it than there actually is. Yeah, we haven't seen each other since that day on the playground. I heard that her parents moved and took her out of the city. And me... well you know where I ended up after that incident."

She nodded her head as she finished her breakfast and hopped down from the kitchen chair. "MISAKA doesn't want to be rude and divert attention from your past stories, but it's almost time for MISAKA'S favorite show to come on, says MISAKA MISAKA as she politely excuses herself to watch the latest episode."

"Sure, knock yourself out, kid," I replied as I rolled my eyes and walked over to the fridge for a coffee. I realized just before opening the door that I drank the last one yesterday.

"Hey, I'm out of coffee so I'm going out to get more. You want to come along?"

"My favorite show is about to come on, says MISAKA MISAKA as she kindly declines your invitation and brings her attention back to the television screen."

"Tch, just don't take off while I'm gone. I'll be right back," I said as I grabbed my wallet and crutch and walked out. Fortunately, the apartment I had found for us last year was close to a lot of different stores. They say real estate is all about 'location, location, location,' after all. It was a short walk to get to the local convenience store. I grabbed a hand basket and made my way to the coolers towards the back of the store. I don't know if it was the familiar scent or the quick flash of blue I saw from the corner of my eye. Whatever it was it made me stop and look down the last aisle, and saw Kana there looking at the single serving pre-packaged meals.

She had her hair twisted up into one of those loose and messy buns that seem to be popular with girls now. The skirt she had on was just tight enough to draw attention to her perfectly shaped ass. All those images I had in my head from our time the day before combined with the vision of her in front of me were too much for me to control. I felt myself getting hard, my cock fighting against the fabric of my pants. There's no way I could calm myself down right now. I had to have her right there.

Kana noticed me just as I started to approach her. "Accelerator, what a surprise to see you here! How are you doing?" She asked as she walked closer to meet me. I dropped the basket and put my hand on her shoulder and pulled her close to me.

"I... I need to go to the bathroom... Come on." I whispered awkwardly as I grabbed her by the hand and rushed through the open bathroom door. I quickly pulled her inside and locked the door behind us. I threw my cane to the side and pressed myself against Kana. Her look of surprise almost made me stop, not wanting to overstep my bounds with her. She must have sensed that hesitation, because she pulled me close, allowing me to kiss and suck against the nape of her tender neck. Her soft moans echoed within the small room as she encouraged me to go further. She wanted me just as much as I needed her, no words needed to be said. She undid the front of my pants and started stroking my cock while I pulled her skirt up and out of the way and started rubbing her through her panties.

She let go of my cock and started kissing me, passionately and fiercely. I backed her up against the bathroom sink, kissed her deeply, then turned her around. She leaned over against the sink, her ass hidden from me by her panties, but not for long. I pulled them down until they dropped around her ankles, where she stepped out of one end. I grabbed her hip with one hand and used my other hand to direct my cock to her pussy. I slid it between her warm, wet lips a few times before thrusting myself into her. She let out one of the sexiest moans I've heard from her yet as I started to fuck her from behind.

"Mmm...go harder...mmmhhmmm!" She managed to say between moans. I couldn't hold back after hearing that. I grabbed her hips and started slamming my cock into her, giving it to her as hard as I could. Her moans and cries got more intense, calling out for more. I wrapped one arm around her lower stomach and the other across her tits and fucked her the way she wanted. The way she deserved to get it. I couldn't believe how into this she really was. This was almost bordering on some S&M shit. I tested it out by grabbing her neck and pulling it back, arching her back as I pumped my dick into her. She answered back with a smile.

A knock on the door brought us back to the reality of where we were. "Is someone in there?" said the person knocking at the door.

"Grrraaaghhh! Hold on a damn minute!" I answered, angry over the interruption.

"Oh, my!" replied the voice on the other side of the door. Kana looked around the bathroom and started to laugh, which made me stop what I was doing.

"We're in the ladies room, Accelerator. They can wait, don't stop now!" she practically growled as she started to grind her ass against me to show she wanted more. She forced herself back against my cock as I started thrusting into her again, which felt amazing. I could feel myself getting ready to finish.

The old bat at the door knocked again, "Are you still in there?"

Kana screamed out a little and replied breathlessly, "I'm almost there... err almost done!"

"I'm about to cum, what do you want me to do, Kana?"

"Inside, I want you to finish inside me, ahh!" she moaned as she bent down lower and braced herself against the sink. This made it easier for me to slide in deeper. "Ohh, right there! Don't stop, I'm coming!" Kana yelled as I felt her pussy start to squeeze against my cock. I couldn't last much longer with her pulsing and throbbing against me.

I let out a deep moan as I came deep inside her. All I could do was lay on her and enjoy that feeling of release as we both caught our breath. Her legs started to tremble as I pulled out and grabbed some towels to clean myself off. Kana slowly walked over to the toilet and sat down to clean herself up.

"That was really hot, Accelerator. I have to say I wouldn't have expected this of you. But I'm glad you did; after yesterday I was hoping to spend more time with you."

"You didn't make it easy for me, between yesterday and seeing you in that skirt today. I couldn't not take you right here and now." I answered truthfully.

"You think that lady is still out there waiting to use the bathroom?" Kana asked, and with that, we both started to laugh.

"I imagine if she heard you say you were 'almost there' she knew it was time to move on. But I suppose we should get going ourselves. I'm not sure what plans you have for today, but the brat mentioned something about a museum trip," I said as I pulled up my pants and straightened my shirt.

Kana brought her panties back up and smoothed her skirt down over them, then took some towels and dabbed them against her face. "I was doing some grocery shopping since I just moved in and barely have anything to eat there. Once I get that finished, I'm free for the rest of the weekend."

We finished getting ourselves in order so we could leave the bathroom, and opened the door to find no one standing around nearby to see us both exiting the room together. Kana held my hand as we walked back to the main store. It was such a simple gesture, but it stood out so much to me. Suddenly I had a flashback to when I last saw her at the playground, as they ripped her out of my grip. Watching them carry her away as she reached out to me. I felt a cold chill go up my spine and squeezed her hand a little tighter in response.

"What is it, Accelerator? Is something wrong?" she asked with concern in her voice.

"I'm okay, just got reminded of the incident at the playground for some reason. It was so long ago... Hey, did you ever end up developing an ability since then?" She let go of my hand suddenly, and I looked at her face for a clue as to why her expression seemed angry.

"No, I never did. After such a great start to the day, you have to ask me about that, of all things? Is that all you care about after all? I'm just as weak and pathetic as I was back then."

"Kana, wait... I was just curious. I didn't mean anything by it, I swear! But hey, you aren't..."

"I'm sorry, I just... I need to go for now," she said as tears welled up in her eyes. She rushed out of the store before I could stop her and tell her just how wrong she was about what she said. How in the hell could she possibly believe herself to be weak and pathetic?


	5. Chapter 5: Kana

I ran out of the store before he could see me start to cry. I kept walking, past my apartment building and further into the School District. I just felt the need to keep moving. Eventually, I ended up in the Elementary School District and realized the place I really wanted to be right now was the old playground. The place where everything started seemed to be the most comforting at the moment, so I found it. Some of the equipment had been changed, but otherwise, it still looked like it did back when I was going to school here. I took a seat on one of the swings, took a deep breath, and sighed heavily.

I had wondered when that subject would come up between us. Me being a Level Zero and Accelerator being the strongest ranked Esper in Academy City. Even with all the positive moments we've had over the last couple of days, I just can't help but feel that he should be with someone who at least had an ability. Without one, I feel like I can't relate to him or what he's gone through because of his. Maybe I'm just overthinking it, but my status as a Zero has caused so many problems. It is the reason the fight on this playground started, after all. Those bullies wouldn't have had a reason to bother me if I'd had an ability like they did. And maybe I would have been able to make more friends if I had an ability like everyone else.

But would I have still approached Accelerator if I had all of that going for me back then? His life would have been so different if I hadn't inserted myself into it. He wouldn't have had to defend me against those bullies or been threatened by the authorities and treated so horribly by all the scientists with their experiments. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I'd done nothing but cause him pain. How could I possibly look him in the eyes knowing that? How selfish I've been, forcing my way back into his life because of my own feelings for him. I was so deep in thought I didn't notice the approaching footsteps.

"Nice day, isn't it?" said the young man as he took a seat on the swing to the right of me. Something was vaguely familiar about him but I couldn't place it. He wore a baseball cap which threw a shadow across part of his face and made it hard to identify him.

"Uh, yeah it sure is. What brings you to the park today?" I said nervously since he had startled me.

"Nostalgia. Probably the same reason you came here too, right Kana?"

Surprised to have a stranger call me by name, I looked at him more closely, then realized who it was. "Luka?"

"Bingo. I was kind of surprised to hear that you had moved back here. Almost ruined the plans I had made."

"It was you that was sending those threats to my old place, wasn't it? All the harassing phone calls and letters I was getting were from you? Why would you do something so childish and stupid?"

He turned towards me and removed his ball cap. I was shocked to see the scar that went across his face, a grim reminder of the last time we were here. "You know, I see that same look on everyone's face when they first see me. Do you have any idea how irritating it is to put up with that shit day after day? I'm sure you remember how I ended up looking like this, too. You and that albino freak did this to me. I had such a promising life ahead of me with my Esper ability. Sports, all of that. Accelerator damaged my face and my reputation. I had to leave the baseball team because of the broken arm, so my dream of becoming a sports star was taken from me as well."

"Don't try to play innocent here, Luka. You know what started it was you bullying and attacking me!"

"And I'd do it again! Bottom-feeders like you Zeros need to be put in your place. But with all that aside, I had it all worked out on how to get back at you two for ruining my future. What I didn't plan on was for you to actually move back to the City and run back to Accelerator for protection. I was going to take care of you one at a time since you were conveniently away from anyone that could defend you. But despite that little setback, I think things will still work out like I want. Probably even better than I originally planned." He paused as he looked out over the playground. "What do you know, look who decided to join the party. Didn't realize you had him on such a short leash, Kana."

Accelerator walked through the entrance of the playground and spotted us. "Kana! I had a feeling I would find you here. Why did you have to run... What the hell are _you_ doing here?" He asked as he saw Luka sitting beside me. I stood up to go to Accelerator but Luka caught my arm, pulled me back and held me next to him.

"Well, at least one of you remembered me right off the bat. I was just telling your little girlfriend here why I'm doing all of this. You ruined my life, Accelerator. Over a lowly Zero of all things! Now I'm going to enjoy seeing the same happen to you two."

Accelerator was beyond angry and didn't bother to hide it. "You piece of shit! You actually think you can blame me for the way your life turned out? Don't make me laugh, you sorry bastard. If it's me you're blaming that's fine, but Kana has nothing to do with this. So take your disgusting hands off of her and face me like a man instead of the coward you were the last time I saw you!"

"Oh wow, doesn't seem like much has changed since the last time we were all here! Well, other than the fact that now you're the strongest Level Five. Gotta say that's pretty impressive, but it's kinda sad that you're wasting your time and potential protecting this nobody." He elbowed me in the side as he said that, which drew more frustration out of Accelerator.

"She's got more courage and strength inside of her than you could ever possibly hope to have! It doesn't matter to me that she doesn't have an ability, she didn't need one to show you she was better than you back then, and she sure as hell doesn't need one now! Now let her go and let's deal with this man to man!"

Tears welled up in my eyes as he said those words. I'd been so worried about our different ability levels coming between us that it never crossed my mind that he would see past it entirely and appreciate me for who I was.

"You got me, Accelerator. Even as a Level Four, I know there's no possible way that I could take you on and have it end well for me. The more I think about it, you two just aren't worth the trouble." He let go of me and shoved me away. "Go on, I'm done with this shit." I walked over to Accelerator and stood behind him as he stretched out his arms in a defensive pose.

"It's a shame that you haven't changed after all this time, just as much mouth as ever but coming up short when it comes to action," said Accelerator.

"No, the real shame here is that instead of working on developing that incredible power of yours, all that energy is going towards fucking that trash. Although I have to say, she's got a real sweet ass. Almost makes me think about slumming it one good time." He said as he stared at me with a smirk on his face.

"You cocky son of a bitch! I'll give you a first-hand demonstration of my power, just like I did when I fucked up your face last time!" yelled Accelerator as he used his Vector ability to send all the surrounding rocks and pieces of playground equipment hurtling towards Luka.

"Switch-Out!" yelled Luka, and suddenly I felt light-headed and unsteady on my feet. After blinking a few times to clear my eyes, I saw Accelerator facing me rather than in front of me. I heard Accelerator scream out as I realized that Luka had used his Esper ability to trade places with me. Before he could react to stop it, all of the rocks and debris meant for Luka struck me. I saw Luka standing behind him as I fell to the ground.

"KANA, NO!" yelled Accelerator as he ran over to me. He leaned me up and held me against his chest tightly, wiping my hair out of my face so he could look at the cuts and wounds. I felt something warm flowing down the right side of my face and began to grow faint.

Luka casually walked up to us and leaned over to speak directly into Accelerator's ear. "Haha! I may never be able to get close enough to scar your own face, but I think I can live with fucking up your girl's face instead. Every time you look at her now you'll be reminded of the real wound I've given you!"

I lost consciousness after that, with Accelerator holding me close as his rage towards Luka grew.


	6. Chapter 6: Kana

I woke up to an aching in my head and the sound of a heart rate monitor beeping nearby. I raised a hand to my forehead and felt thick bandaging across my right eye and cheek. I noticed Accelerator in a chair to the left of my hospital bed, sleeping in what looked like a very uncomfortable position. I couldn't help but smile as I watched him sleep. He held onto my left hand, his grasp secure yet gentle. I rubbed my thumb lightly over the back of his hand. The motion was enough to wake him as he first looked at our hands, then up at me.

"You're awake. Good," he said as he stretched awkwardly in his chair. "How are you feeling? The doc says that nothing's broken, but you have a lot of cuts and bruises. The cut above your right eye was the most serious, but he managed to close it up alright. Shouldn't have to worry too much about scarring. That guy looks like a frog, but he's the best when it comes to healing people."

"All things considered I think I'm fine. How are you doing with all that's happened?"

He avoided looking at my face, I suppose seeing all the bandages and wounds were hard for him to look at. He seemed to have something on his mind but was having a hard time on how to begin.

"This... What happened, is exactly what I had always been expecting to happen once I let someone get close to me. I told you when you first showed up that people near me end up getting hurt because of who I am. And now look at what's happened. I could have killed you, Kana!" He let go of my hand and brought his hands up to his face and began rubbing his temples. "I don't want to lose you, Kana, but it makes me crazy to think of what could happen to you if..."

"Don't say anymore, Accelerator. I don't care what dangers there are when it comes to being with you. The way I felt when I was taken away from you the first time will always be burned into my heart, and now that I'm finally reunited with you, it doesn't matter what happens to me as long as I never have to lose you again. So you don't have to feel guilty or whatever about what happened, none of this was your fault. If anything, it's likely mine."

"Why would you feel like it's your fault? That guy obviously has a beef with me for the beating he earned for his behavior. You don't need to feel responsible for any of this."

I wasn't sure how he would react, but it wasn't fair to keep him in the dark any longer. "Accelerator, the real reason I came back to Academy City... I did want to find you again, that was true. But, I came back to get away from someone that I thought was stalking me. I was getting phone calls, letters, it just kept getting worse. Eventually, it got so bad that I never wanted to go home. I felt like I'd never be truly safe again, but then I was reminded of how safe and secure I felt when I lived here. So I came back thinking that would be the end of it. But I found out the person doing all of those things was Luka. He had been planning to get his revenge on us separately. But when I moved back here and found my way back into your life I just made it easier for him to get what he wanted. I've dragged you into my own problems again and I'm sorry for that. But please don't blame yourself for all this," I said as I motioned towards the injuries and bandages. "Luka is the one that is responsible, okay?"

"Heh, that little brat was right. You had an 'ulterior motive' for showing up after all. You should have just told me when you first showed up what was going on. Maybe we would have been more prepared for this if you had. Why didn't you tell me?" he asked as he finally made eye contact with me.

"I felt that moving had taken care of the problem, so I didn't think that it was something that needed to be brought up. I didn't want you to feel burdened about something that was going on before I came back. If I had suspected that it was someone that wanted to hurt you, I would have made sure he couldn't accomplish that even if it meant avoiding you. I never wanted to drag you into any more of my problems, Accelerator. You've finally got the quiet and peaceful life you deserve, I wasn't about to take that away from you."

A knock on the door interrupted Accelerator's response, we both looked at the opening door to see Last Order peek in. "So this is where you have been, MISAKA MISAKA says as she expresses sincere concern on behalf of you two and your safety." A slim woman in a green tracksuit followed the little girl into the room.

"I wish there was some way I could harness this little one's energy, Accelerator. How are you two holding up? Oh, I'm afraid we haven't met, I'm Aiho Yomikawa. He and I go way back, right kid?" she said as she offered her hand. Accelerator nodded to acknowledge her.

"I'm Kana Hanje, nice to meet you," I said as I took her hand in my own and gently shook it.

"I appreciate you going over to keep an eye on Last Order while I was here, Yomikawa." said Accelerator as he stood up and grabbed his crutch from the side of the bed.

"No problem kiddo, as much as I hate to hear that you're involved with more sketchy situations, I'm glad to see that you seem to have found yourself a lovely companion. So when should I expect the wedding invitation?" Yomikawa said in a jesting tone. I'm not sure who blushed a deeper red, myself or Accelerator.

"Wha...?! No-no one's talking about marriage here Yomikawa, shut your damn mouth!" Accelerator replied, flustered and embarrassed.

Yomikawa smiled, "Yeah, well it's still fun seeing you lose your cool, so it was worth it. Sorry if I was out of line, young lady, but sometimes it helps to get him riled up so he doesn't take everything so seriously."

"It's okay Miss Yomikawa, no offense taken," I said as I looked at Accelerator, who was actually blushing and trying to avoid both mine and Yomikawa's eyes. It was interesting seeing this side of him, though I have seen the more sensitive and intimate side of him lately as well.

"MISAKA MISAKA hopes that you have a swift recovery Miss Hanje, MISAKA was worried when Accelerator didn't return from his trip to the store in a reasonable amount of time. You must be a very good friend, as he is not a fan of frequenting hospitals, says MISAKA MISAKA informatively."

I wasn't sure what to say to the little girl, so I glanced over to Accelerator, who decided to sit back down.

"Last Order, Kana Hanje is... well she's actually not just an old friend. She's the girl that I'm dating now. If that's difficult for you to understa..."

"I'm aware of that, says MISAKA MISAKA since the fact was obvious when you first introduced me."

"Wait, how did you know?" asked Accelerator.

"Simple, MISAKA was able to analyze the rhythm of your heart rate as you spoke of Miss Hanje, along with several other biological indicators that would infer more than just general friendship, says MISAKA MISAKA as she explains herself clearly."

"So what you were saying about ulterior motives..."

"It was obvious that she made no attempts at disguising her obvious affection towards you, but it was still possible that you would be left clueless to recognize what her motives truly were. Most information I've read about relationships infers that the males tend to be rather dense when it comes to recognizing signs of true love, says MISAKA MISAKA matter of factly."

Yomikawa giggled out loud upon hearing what Last Order had told Accelerator while it was obvious the limits of his temper were being tested.

"Oh, I'm dense?! You read that information from where, the trashy harem manga that you've got tossed about all over your room? Real great detective work, you little brat..."

"MISAKA also remembered that there were moments of concern among the MISAKA Network recently. There was a significant increase in your heart rate, respiration, and stress levels yesterday as well as the first day that Miss Hanje visited. Some of the Sisters were going to check on you to confirm you weren't in any danger. MISAKA MISAKA wonders what could have caused such a reaction with your body and whether it is somehow related to your new relationship, says MISAKA MISAKA as she begins to ponder the thought of..."

"You know what, I think that's enough for today..." Accelerator blurted out before Last Order could finish speaking. _Damn, I didn't know the Network could monitor my body like that. Now I have to worry about having a bunch of Misaka clones show up every time we have sex?_ "And... And send a message to the Sisters to disregard those types of readings again. It's nothing for them to be concerned about, you got it?"

"Sure thing, says MISAKA MISAKA as she dejectedly shows her dislike for being interrupted but adheres to your wishes nonetheless." She turned about and wandered towards the door.

"Guess that's my cue to get out of here. Try not to worry too much about his Luka person, okay you two? Anti-Skill is checking into him and will have a location on him soon. In the meantime, maybe find some way to be a little more discreet without tipping off that little munchkin. If she starts asking me about the birds and the bees on the ride home, I'm pulling you up on speed-dial, you got me kiddo?" She gave us a wink and a smile before following Last Order out of the room. Accelerator let out a deep sigh as he leaned back in his chair.

"You looked pretty uncomfortable when you were sleeping there earlier, why don't you sit with me? I know it's just a hospital bed but there's plenty of room for both of us if you want to."

"Well, I won't turn it down," he answered as he stood up and lowered the handrail on the left side of the bed. I slid to the right to make more room for him as he sat down next to me and got comfortable.

"Accelerator, I feel like I owe you an apology. That outburst in the store was uncalled for. Not having an ability has always been a sensitive subject for me. I always had to deal with the kids that would pick on me for not having one. But being around you helped me deal with it because I felt like you never judged me on what I couldn't do. But after being gone so long and then seeing you again and realizing that you're the strongest Esper in Academy City... It was more than a little intimidating. And even though you never made me feel it, my own insecurities made me believe that I wouldn't be good enough to be by your side. You asking if I had developed an ability triggered all that doubt, and I just couldn't deal with it. But I had no right to lash out at you, so for that, I'm truly sorry."

He looked at me quietly for a few moments before responding, he held my left hand within both of his own. "Kana, I know you heard what I told that bastard when he was threatening you. I've never cared about whether or not you had an ability. You were the first person to ever show me kindness without expecting anything from me in return. At that point in my life, your friendship and compassion were more unique than any ability I'd ever witnessed or developed. I meant every word I said out there, Kana. I know there's a lot I still need to learn about relationships, but honestly, there's no one else I'd rather have at my side than you."

I squeezed his hand gently as I tried and failed to hold back the tears that his words had conjured. "Well after I've gotten mad at you over petty things and feeling insecure, I guess I'm not that good at this relationship stuff myself, huh..?"

"Well, we'll just have to work on developing that ability together, won't we?" he said as he leaned forward and kissed the unbandaged part of my forehead.


	7. Chapter 7: Kana

"I wish you'd just stay at my place while you finished recuperating, Kana. With Luka still out there, I don't like the thought of you being on your own," said Accelerator as he accompanied me out of the hospital.

"I'll be okay, I have a lot of things to catch up on at home. Specifically, the grocery shopping since I was 'interrupted' from finishing it the last time I went to the store." I remembered that steamy scene of us going at it in the store's bathroom and smiled. I was healing well, most of the soreness had gone away with only the more serious cuts still bandaged. I was able to have both eyes uncovered now with a smaller bandage covering the cut above my right eye.

"Then let's go take care of that. I imagine you're still feeling a little weak, so I'll carry your things. Since it's my fault it didn't get done I should be the one to help you do it without inconveniencing you further. Sound good?"

"Sure, it's just good to finally get outside after being cooped up in that hospital room the last few days. Speaking of which, I'd like to go to my place and get a quick shower and change before we go out."

"Okay, that's no problem," said Accelerator as we continued to walk towards my apartment. His phone rang so he moved to the side of the walkway to answer it. I could tell it was Last Order on the other end since her voice carried out despite him not having it on speakerphone.

"Whaddya mean you can't find your... Where's Yomikawa...Argh... Okay! Okay, I'll be right there!" He hung up the phone and squeezed it tightly in frustration. "Change of plans, I gotta go help the brat find something that she's missing for her school project and Yomikawa had to go into the Anti-Skill office at the last minute."

"It's okay, I'll just go get cleaned up and meet you at your place. We can all go out together, I'm sure Last Order wouldn't mind getting to spend time with you since you've been away the last few days."

"Tch, yeah, I suppose you're right. Okay, well just stay alert and hurry back, I still don't like you being by yourself with that psycho bastard on the loose. And that's saying something coming from this psycho bastard." He pulled me towards him and wrapped his arms around me. "I'll see you soon, Kana." He said as he lightly kissed my forehead. It seemed silly for him to refer to himself as a psycho when he's been treating me so kindly. However, I know that he can be just as sinister as he is sensitive if pushed far enough. I just hope Anti-Skill will catch Luka before he has to resort to showing that side of himself.

We parted ways, and I hurried to my apartment building. I gathered the mail that had accumulated since I'd been gone and threw it on my kitchen table. It felt comforting being back in my place surrounded by my belongings. I gathered a new set of clothes to put on and laid them out on my bed. As I walked into the bathroom I stripped out of my old clothes. In the mirror, I saw clearly the bruises and wounds that Luka's attack had left with me.

The hospital had provided me with extra bandages so I could keep the worst ones clean and protected. Peeling off the bandage over my eye I saw the wound for the first time. It had left a deep gash against my eyebrow. The bruising had extended out past the borders of the bandage but somehow I hadn't noticed it until now. "There's no way this isn't leaving a scar..." I said as I gingerly touched the broken skin. Once it's healed, each time Accelerator looks at me, he really will be reminded of that bastard. "I'll just hide it with my hair. I won't give that creep the satisfaction of thinking he succeeded in hurting us."

After I showered and dressed I started to look around the kitchen taking note of what I needed to pick up while we were out. As I opened the refrigerator door someone walked up behind me and pressed their body against mine. For a moment I had thought it was Accelerator following me back instead of taking care of Last Order. I knew that he wouldn't have left her on her own, which meant that this had to be...

"Hello again, Kana Hanje..." Luka whispered into my ear as he put his arms around me in a bear hug, pinning my arms against my sides. I tried to struggle out of his grip but he wouldn't let up. In desperation, I stomped on his foot as hard as I could, but all that did was make him angry. He slammed me against the wall next to my fridge several times before slinging me across the room. My left shoulder struck the floor hard and it hurt when I tried to lift myself up off the ground.

"I think it's best for your sake that you just stay down, Zero." Luka stood over me, leering at my body with a wicked look on his face.

"Don't do this Luka, wasn't that attack in the playground enough for you? Just leave us alone, please!"

"Enough?! You think that little squabble was enough to satisfy the bloodlust I've had growing within me for the last ten years? You must be joking!" He yelled as he grabbed me by my shirt and threw me across the kitchen counter towards the kitchen table set on the other side. I slid across the table, which went over onto its side and landed on the two chairs that had been positioned under it. The cut above my eye had reopened during the struggle. I could feel the blood flowing down my cheek and nose. My shirt had been ripped considerably, revealing my slightly frayed bra which had lost one of the straps. With my right hand, I clutched my left shoulder in pain while trying to cover my chest with my forearms.

"Just... stop. This won't change anything. It won't make your... your scar go away, or anything else in your life better. Revenge won't bring you anything but more darkness and hate!"

Luka had started to laugh, a slight chuckle at first, but after hearing my pleas for mercy, it had grown into one of the most sadistic laughing fits I had ever heard. "HAHA! Darkness and hate, you say? My dear Zero, I've dwelled in that for years. You think I expect to be free of it once I'm finished with the two of you? No, I know there's no saving me after this is done. I wouldn't have even attempted any of this if I hadn't accepted that and made my peace with it. Nothing is going to sway me from the path I've set for myself. You and Accelerator were the ones that forced me onto it in the first place, how dare you try to avoid the responsibility of seeing me to the end of it!"

"He was only defending me from you and your friends! And don't say that you can't free yourself of this darkness. I've seen that it's possible, but it's a choice you have to make! You always have a choice!" I rolled off of the chairs, hitting the floor hard. Still keeping my arms wrapped in front of me and bracing my injured shoulder, I sat up and slid until my back was against the wall and facing him. Blood from my face had started to drip down, little crimson droplets scattering across my arms and onto the exposed tops of my breasts.

Luka's expression relaxed slightly as he began to stare at me and look me over. His eyes wandered all over me, a frightening lustful look began to show within them, and it chilled me to my very core. Oh please don't let him be thinking of doing _that_...

"Mmm hmm. You know, I think I've been going about this in the entirely wrong way, Kana. I mean, sure I could continue to keep beating you and threatening both your life and his. And that cycle really would just keep going until either Accelerator or myself dies. But I'm starting to realize that brutal attacks and scars aren't the only way to collect the retribution I seek. Having your freak of a lover see you broken and bloodied just isn't enough to really make him crack. No, he's seen way too much of that kind of damage in his life already. It just doesn't phase him the way it would to a normal person. But..." He reached down and wiped the tips of his fingers across my chest, gathering the blood that had settled there. He brought his hand up to his mouth, licking my blood off of his fingers seductively as he stared at me. "...I see the only way to truly break Accelerator is to defile and violate what he believes only belongs to him!"

"NO!" I screamed as I kicked my legs out at him, managing to get to my feet and run towards the door. I had almost made it and reached for the knob when Luka grabbed a handful of my hair from behind and smashed my face against the door. The room faded to black and all I could hear was his blood-chilling laughter as I passed out.


	8. Chapter 8: Accelerator

"Thank you so much for helping me find it, replies MISAKA MISAKA as she slides the rest of her project into her backpack for safe keeping."

"Yeah, yeah, try actually cleaning this mess of a room for once and maybe you'll start finding even more missing objects," I said to the brat as I walked back out to the living room.

"MISAKA finds it strange that Miss Kana didn't accompany you back here, says MISAKA MISAKA as she makes note of the obvious."

"She's meeting us here, then we're picking up some groceries. She just wanted to freshen up or whatever at her place first." _But just how long does it really take to do that?_

"I'm sure she'll be on her way soon, try not to worry too much, says MISAKA MISAKA, attempting to calm your growing apprehension."

Was it really that obvious that I was getting nervous? Maybe I should give her a call to see what's taking her so long. I left Last Order in the living room as she directed her attention to her favorite TV show once again. Entering my room, I sat on the bed and pulled my phone from my pocket. As the screen lit up I noticed I had an unseen message from Kana. When I realized what the image on the screen was, my heart felt like it was burning inside my chest. It was Kana laying unconscious on the floor, clothes torn with her face bruised and bloodied. The text attached to the picture said, "I'll take my turn with her soon."

"YOU ROTTEN SON OF A BITCH!" I screamed out loud as I rushed out of my room, startling Last Order as I entered the living room.

"What's going on, asks MISAKA MISAKA with a distinctly panicked tone to her voice."

"You stay here, don't you step one foot outside of this house, you got me? I'm going to make him pay, he's going to wish for a quick death if he's done anything to her." I felt that old familiar rage and hatred start to burn within me. I set my choker device back to Esper mode, something I hadn't needed to do in quite a while. Nothing can stop me once I let this bloodlust out. My phone rang as I was about to leave the apartment. The ID on the screen said it was Kana.

"Where the HELL are you?"

"Hello to you as well, Accelerator. From that tone of voice, I take it that you got Kana's latest selfie? You know, she tried so many different positions before settling on that one."

"You have no idea the kind of monster you've just unleashed, you piece of shit! If you touch her I will make you suffer far worse a fate than you could ever imagine. They're going to be finding pieces of you long after you've been forgotten! Now, where are you, you sick bastard!"

"Now, now, there's no need to be so dramatic. You'll just have to wait your turn, that's all. And as a gentleman, I'll even be nice enough to wait until she's awake. See, I'm quite the considerate lover after all. Although, she may have some trouble walking home after I'm done with her. Don't wait up, Accelerator." The call ended and all I could do was stare at the screen. How could this have happened? I shouldn't have let her go off on her own. She's in trouble now because I failed to protect her when she needed it most. I fell to my knees in front of the doorway, my crutch falling off to the side.

I let loose a guttural scream as I slammed my fists against the ground repeatedly, leaving massive cracks and breaks along the floor. "I don't care if I have to tear this whole city apart to find him!" My breathing grew erratic as my power grew, making the house tremble. Just then, Last Order hugged me from behind.

"GET BACK LAST ORDER! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" I yelled as I tried to shake her off of me, but she held on tight, hugging me closer.

"This state of mind isn't going to help you with the current situation. You need to calm down and think rationally if you want to get the upper hand on this fiend, states MISAKA MISAKA as she attempts to fight against the darkness within you."

Damnit, why won't she just let go of me?! As angry as I am right now how could she be so bold as to try to restrain me? But wait... she's not trying to hold me back from leaving, she's... She's just trying to keep me from becoming the monster I used to be. My breathing began to slow and I started to think more coherently. When she felt that I had calmed down enough, she let go and stepped in front of me.

"Now, the most effective way to find Miss Kana would be to employ the use of the MISAKA Network. The Sisters are scattered throughout Academy City, and since they are all connected through the Network, they can search their designated areas and report back any sightings with a faster response time than Anti-Skill or the military, says MISAKA MISAKA as she begins to interact with the Network."

Of course, the Sisters wouldn't have any problems moving around the city unseen. They've been managing it for years now. If she was still in the city, they could find her. I grabbed my crutch and used it to help me back to my feet. I was still incredibly worried about Kana, but at least I wasn't letting myself be blinded by rage and unable to think clearly anymore. Last Order was right, going after Luka in that frame of mind would have been exactly what he'd be expecting of me. He's going to pay for what he's done to her, and I'm going to be in my right mind the entire time to enjoy seeing him punished for harming her. Somehow that makes me feel like more of a monster. But then again, I've lived with worse sins hanging over my head...

"Sisters have located Miss Kana, coordinates are being directed to your choker electrode as we speak, says MISAKA MISAKA."

"Ahh, I know this area, it's a bunch of abandoned buildings and alleys. Keep feeding me the updated coordinates, Last Order. I'm going to go save her." I started walking towards the door, hesitated for a moment and looked back at Last Order.

"Thanks, kid. You really came through for me here. But don't come near me when I'm angry like that again. You may not be able to calm me down the next time."

"MISAKA is confident there won't be a next time, as you've never allowed MISAKA to come to harm in the past, she has no reason to believe you'd do so now or in the future. Now get going before the Network is compromised, says MISAKA MISAKA as she wishes you well on your rescue mission." I nodded to her and took off out the door. Keeping the image of the coordinates in mind, I used my ability to speed through the streets towards Kana's location. As I got closer I slowed down and moved more stealthily around the alleys, keeping an eye out for any movement. On the rooftops I noticed some of the Sisters had gathered, the source of the information I was using now.

"I'll take it from here, girls... You don't want to be around for what's about to happen next." I said, and almost immediately the Sisters disappeared from view. Their tracking data showed that Kana had been staying put in one spot, so she must be in this old warehouse. I quietly entered through the side door, focusing on the surroundings for signs they had passed through this way. Dust had accumulated over all the remaining equipment and furniture. This made it relatively easy to notice that someone had disturbed it while coming through here recently.

As I entered the main floor of the warehouse I noticed that the ceiling had caved in. Moonlight illuminated the center of the expansive room. The debris from the cave-in had been pushed against the walls, leaving the middle of the floor clean. Standing in the middle, bathed by moonlight, I circled around. The last coordinates I had for her were right in this room. I noticed movement to my right, and as I slowly approached, I saw Kana lying on an old office desk facing my direction. Luka had his back turned to me in front of her. Taking his ability into consideration, catching him by surprise would have to be the best way to take him down without him involving Kana again like last time.

"Hmm, where... where am I?" Kana muttered as she regained consciousness.

"Well, I did say that'd I'd wait until you woke up and I'm nothing if not a man of my word. Don't think of that as a mercy, Zero. You'll be wishing you were still out cold after the railing I'm about to give you!" He ripped open Kana's shirt, exposing her breasts. Pulling her towards the edge of the desk, he forced himself between her legs. He roughly grabbed and squeezed at her chest with one hand and turned on the cell phone's recording app with his other hand. "Now smile for the camera, I want to make sure your albino freak has a good view as he watches me claim everything that's his, including his pussy!"

"N..no! Don't touch me!" I heard Kana yell out. She kicked out at him as he tried to grab at her shorts. Damnit, I needed her out of the way before I could make a move, so I wouldn't hurt her as well. She managed to get a foot planted against his chest and shoved him away from her.

In an instant, I touched my foot to the ground to activate my Acceleration ability, which thrust me towards Luka at incredible speed. I slammed into him, catching him completely unaware. The impact caused both of us to collide with the back wall. As I stood up unharmed, thanks to my Reflection shielding me from any damage, I dragged Luka out of the rubble he'd been half buried in. He started to wake up from the collision and stared up at me in surprise.

"You wanted my undivided attention, didn't you? Well, now you've got it, asshole!"


	9. Chapter 9: Accelerator

"Did you really think that I wouldn't be able to find you, Luka? You're pathetic, just like you were back then. Had you just targeted me, this would have ended with a simple beating. But what you attempted to do to Kana... you crossed a line that I wouldn't have gotten close to even at my worst." I circled around, positioning myself between him and Kana.

Luka stumbled to his feet, "Is that so? Well, it's nice to know that I can go above and beyond when compared to you, Accelerator! It's a shame you showed up so soon. Your little Zero over there looked like she was really getting into it. Give her a chance and I bet she'd whore herself to the both of us, dirty bitch."

"You shut your damn mouth!" I yelled as I sent debris flying towards him. He tried to dodge my attack but got clipped by the last of it and was knocked down again. I could use my power to crush him at any point without having to lay a hand on him. But after hearing his filthy words, wanting to connect directly became much more appealing. I propelled myself towards him again, landing directly over him as he lay on his back below me. I dropped to my knees and straddled his chest while I threw one of the most satisfying series of punches I've ever given. The time in rehab after being shot, training myself physically to not depend so much on my ability, made me a lot stronger than I used to be. Luka tried to block my punches, but I wouldn't let up on him. No, not after he disrespected my girl and tried to assault her. He struggled to look past me towards Kana, and just as I was about to swing down for another volley of punches, he activated his ability and switched himself out with Kana once again.

"No!" sobbed Kana as she put up her arms defensively and braced for the impact. I managed to stop my attack before striking her this time. Just barely.

"Hey, it's okay. I've got you now. Just hang in there for me just a little while longer," I whispered to her as I pulled her towards me for a quick embrace to calm her down. I pulled my white and gray shirt off and put it over Kana to cover her exposed body. Tears rolled down her cheek and onto my naked chest as she rested against me. "I have an idea, it'll be scary for you but only for a moment. You'll have to trust me, okay?" She looked up at me puzzled but nodded her head.

"I'll always trust you," she whispered back to me. "Do whatever you need to, I'll be ready."

"Aww, isn't that sweet? I could have sworn I was going against the most feared Esper in Academy City, but now I'm wondering if that title is a bit outdated now. If this is what love does to strength, then it's probably best I don't get my dick wet with your sloppy seconds." Luka stood by the desk that Kana had been laying on moments ago.

"You have no idea how wrong you are, Luka. If anything, I've grown stronger because of her. But that isn't why we're here now, with me about to rip you to pieces. Something just became clear to me, though. That ability of yours, Switch-Out, allows you to switch places with people. It looked like direct touch was what activated that, since you had shoved Kana during the first fight and were groping her just now. But that's not the only condition of your power, is it? Because you were trying your damndest to make eye contact with Kana right before you switched with her. So that's the catch, you have to both touch AND see the person for it to work!"

"Damn, didn't think you'd catch onto it so quickly. Doesn't matter though, I can switch with anything within my surroundings as long as I've touched it and see it!"

"Well then, I suppose for me to be able to go all out with you, something needs to be done about you resorting to the same predictable move." And with that, I picked up Kana and using my ability, sent her flying through the air towards the opening in the roof. With careful calculation, I dropped her onto a secure part of the roof, much to the surprise of my adversary.

"I have to say I wasn't expecting that. Pretty bold move considering how run-down this warehouse is. I suppose it won't be as much fun now. Seeing you hurt her that first time made my day! I noticed that your miracle doctor didn't manage to keep her poor face from scarring up after that incident. I guess I shouldn't have expected to be able to use the same trick more than once."

Charging towards him once again, I caught him by the back of his head and drove his face into the floor. He lay still for a moment, enough time for me to confirm through the Network that the Sisters that had gathered at the neighboring rooftop had safely retrieved Kana from the roof and gotten her to safety.

As he lay there breathing heavily, he started to laugh, "So this is the power of the strongest Level Five? I have to say I'm still not impressed. I wonder if Kana thought the same thing when you two fucked for the first time. Yeah, that's right. Even then, I was following her."

At that moment I lost my sense of control. I no longer cared about how one-sided this fight really was. This guy deserved every ounce of pain I was inflicting on him. I flung him against every wall and pinned him down once again. I began to choke him with my bare hands. Each and every movement of him struggling below me urged me to continue. As I stared at his face, a sudden image flashed in my mind. That same one I saw when Kana and I were in the store. Of all times, why am I remembering this scene now? It played in my head like an old video, reminding me of the loss I felt as Kana was taken from me back then. As much as this prick deserved it, I just can't risk the chance that this attack will end with us being separated again. I loosened my grip on his throat and stepped away from him. Fortunately, he had passed out, which was more for his sake than mine, considering his words were what drove me to the edge of madness to begin with.

Aware that Anti-Skill was approaching the building, I switched my electrode back to Normal. I didn't want them to have any reason to consider me hostile this time around.

"Accelerator!" yelled Kana as she ran back into the warehouse, accompanied by members of Anti-Skill.

"Kana... you didn't have to come back. You shouldn't have to be near that guy anymore." She wrapped her arms around me and held me tight. I felt her trembling slightly, so I returned the embrace and rubbed her back to help soothe her nerves. "It's over now, he won't be able to harass you again. It's strange you know... I was ready to take his life for the things he'd done. But the thought of losing you again stopped me."

Anti-Skill avoided interrupting us as they secured Luka and took him away. "Hey, that guy can switch places with other people if he can see and touch them. I'd suggest covering his eyes so he doesn't make use of that ability." I said to the group that was escorting him out.

"So tell me why I'm finding you out here making trouble for us again, Accelerator? And what in the world happened that ended with her wearing your shirt?" said Yomikawa as she approached us. Kana reported what had happened in her apartment and was treated by the medical officers for the wounds to her face. Once Yomikawa had gotten the information she needed from Kana, she let us know that we were free to go.

"I'm sorry, it looks like I got blood on your shirt. I'll wash it as soon as I get home so it doesn't stain."

"And what makes you think that you're going anywhere other than my place? Besides, you've got nothing to eat at your apartment, and I'm starving," I said casually as we walked back to my place.

"You do have a point there. I think I may have to give up on the idea of grocery shopping in this city. We should order something in, then, when we get back. Something Last Order would like, too." She slid her hand into mine and gently squeezed it.

"That's a good idea, I do kind of owe the brat for her help earlier too."

"I'm sorry for causing so much trouble. Seems like that's all that ever happens when the two of us are together," she said as we approached my apartment.

I stopped at the door and pulled her towards me, resting my hands on her shoulders. "Don't ever think that you're not worth the trouble, Kana. I don't blame you for any of this, anyway. I told you I'd protect you, and I nearly failed in that. If anything, I should be ashamed of myself for all that you've gone through today. All I can possibly hope for is that you'll still believe me when I say that I'll do better in the future." I thought it would be tough speaking to her about how I felt since I'd always kept things like that inside so no one could use it against me. But something about her made it simple.

The door to the apartment opened wide behind us, and Last Order was standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips looking like she was about to scold us. "MISAKA was worried sick about you two! The Sisters relayed all the happenings to MISAKA involving the fighting and it all got very frustrating, says MISAKA MISAKA in a motherly tone to show her concern!"

"We're fine, kid. We're going to order some delivery, so just pick whatever you want. I'm gonna get Kana situated so she can get some rest while we wait for the food."

"Yay! MISAKA is going to order a bunch of her favorites to share with you Miss Kana, says MISAKA MISAKA as she looks forward to some sisterly bonding." Kana laughed and nodded her head. Leaving her to get the food order placed, I walked Kana over to the living room couch and got her comfortable with a few pillows and a blanket. She looked so tired once she was all bundled up. After all that she'd been through today, I imagine sleep wouldn't be far behind. I sat down next to her and put my arm around her. She leaned against me, cradling herself against my chest.

"Despite all that's happened, I'm still glad that I came back to you."

"I am too, Kana. Thank you for being brave enough to show me that there's nothing weak about caring for someone else." She had fallen asleep, likely before I even finished what I had to say. I couldn't imagine a better ending to this day than to be holding her while she slept peacefully. Maybe there's hope for this loner scumbag after all.


End file.
